


Fool Me Once

by ithrowboxis



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Anxiety, Fake AH Crew, Family Dynamics, First Meetings, Gen, Will Add Tags As We Go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:40:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26512321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ithrowboxis/pseuds/ithrowboxis
Summary: When Alfredo gets arrested for wire fraud, the crew needs a lawyer who can lie better than any of them. To their surprise, it's Jeremy who speaks up. But it's not just him who has a history with this silver-tongued swindler.
Comments: 26
Kudos: 78





	1. I know a guy

"I know a guy that could help."

It's not the first time that it's been said, but the phrase turns heads when it's Jeremy who says it. After all, who could a petty thief from up north know that could help them with getting someone off the hook for corporate-level wire fraud? Sure, Jeremy had established connections within the crew and their associates after joining the Fakes, but their street background didn't bolster confidence for the desperate group before them.

If it wasn't for Matt, the Bostonite probably wouldn't have any credit here. They had lived with Matt a long time before joining the Fakes, and Jeremy had lasted all of a month before their loyalty to Matt won over and they'd staked membership on bringing him onto the crew. It had been a brilliant move all-round, the two quickly proving themselves to be as useful to the crew as everyone else.

"Jeremy, we need a sure thing here. Alfredo is fucked if-"

"You need a liar, right? This guy's the best. Law school, business, interrogation - he's done it all," Jeremy listed off the accolades of the guy they had in mind, "plus he's clean."

The resident hackers, Gavin and Matt, exchanged a glance. Both of them had cleared the records of the crew ten times over by now, erasing the details of the infamous heists and crimes of the gang. Knowing Jeremy the longest, now stood close to his friend, Matt cleared his throat. "Clean record? You mean like wiped?"

"Nope. Totally green. Never laid a finger on anyone," Jeremy paused, considering an addendum, "...physically."

That drew a derisive snort from the back of the room, Michael still donning his leather jacket and Jersey attitude from his interrupted 'recon'. Jeremy swore they could see fragments of glass stuck in the man’s jeans, likely from whatever warehouse Michael had blown up. Naturally distrustful of any outsider, it wasn't a surprise to see Michael unimpressed by Jeremy's suggestion, and clearly the mentioned lack of physical action didn't sway his conviction. Sensing a lost cause there, Jeremy turned to Matt instead.

"I need you to pull up the police file on Alfredo, see exactly what they found on him. I'm gonna go call my guy."

Jeremy turned to leave, but Matt reached out with a light hand on their arm. "I only know one person who fits that description. You can trust him?"

"I don't need to trust him, I just need to pay him."

-

Truth be told, Jeremy didn't call. They headed to their room, stuffed a briefcase with cash, put on their nicest suit, and left to drive to an office across town. Tapping their fingers against the steering wheel and trying to breathe out the anxiety, they headed into the building, briefcase in hand. Reminded themselves that they was doing this for Alfredo, and they had to do it quickly.

"I'm here to see the boss," they said to the receptionist looking up at them, "tell him that Jeremy is here to see him." It was a total cliché and they knew it, but the only frame of reference for talking their way into an office were the films they'd seen. Their usual method of scaling a building and vaulting through a window probably wouldn't be appreciated here.

After a quick call, Jeremy was told to go up. Heading into the elevator alone and pushing the button for the top floor, Jeremy took a moment to shake the nerves out of their hands, the briefcase shaking a little with the movement. The telltale ping signalled the elevator's arrival and they stepped out of the elevator - straight into a wide window-walled penthouse office.

Luckily the boss wasn't working at his desk, instead sitting facing away out the window, presumably cradling a drink in his hand. Jeremy had about three seconds to plaster the coolest smile on their face before the man whirled round in his chair to greet them. There was no way he hadn't heard the elevator arrive, so something deliberate was going on here. Jeremy didn't have time to reason it out however, struck by the immediacy of this whole encounter.

"Ah, Dooley. I've been expecting you," the man said in a low voice, a clear parody of a bond villain. Jeremy stood dumbstruck for a moment before bursting out laughing, realising that in place of a drink in his hand - or a cat, as would be expected - the man was holding a tortoise.

Eased by the joke and the presence of a tiny pet, Jeremy felt the tension drain out of their shoulders and stepped forward with an outstretched hand. They smiled when the man fumbled for a second, moving the tortoise to his other hand so he could meet the handshake as he stood up.

"Chilled, my man, how are you?"


	2. Brokering a deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy meets with Chilled to bring him on as legal help.

“Wire fraud?!” Chilled parroted, taken aback at the level of crime that Jeremy had requested his help for. “I thought you guys were like, I don’t know, house cleaners?”

“You thought that the Fakes… were house cleaners? God, no, we’re a gang! Heists, hostages, that sort of thing?” Jeremy groaned miserably as the screen in front of them showed their kart drifting into a wall. They jerked the controller in their hands to no avail, cementing their last place failure as every other racer crossed the finish line. Given that Matt often played online with him, it wasn’t much of a surprise to find out that Chilled had a console or three set up in his office.

“That's real rough buddy. And I know that! House cleaners as in ‘cleaning the streets’, y’know... Providing a public service by getting rid of scum or whatever?” Chilled picked up his controller again as the next race in the grand prix started. He had finished the last race in first place more than a minute ago with relative ease, much to Jeremy’s chagrin.

“Right, yeah, yeah. This was that sort of thing. My friend got caught trying to bullshit money from some people who didn’t deserve to have it. We found this group who had been scamming poor people for months, we were just gonna get it back for them. Turns out it was being monitored by feds. Trust them to care about some lowlife over every other crime going on.”

“Was it Matt? I know he’s into that stuff. Maybe Free? Or is that kinda work beneath his pay grade?”

“Nah not them,” Jeremy said, ignoring the slight to their crewmate, “They were working with a newer guy. Well, newer in this business anyway. It was meant to be training, no harm no foul, low level figures and everything.”

“And then he got caught, doesn’t know his defences, and now you need me?”

“Yeah. Look, I brought cash up front. I need this to move quickly. Alf- _my friend’s_ not been in this situation before.” As a show of good faith, Jeremy popped the release on the briefcase, showing the haphazard piles of cash. They hadn’t bothered to count it - being in a rush - but knowing it was their personal stock that had been virtually depleted, it had to be north of $50k. They looked to Chilled, seeing him look over the stacks in front of him, but chewed at their lip when no recognition or softness flashed in the man’s eyes.

“I’ve got money, Jeremy. You don’t have to do all that,” Chilled spoke sincerely, the upbeat gaming soundtrack in the back practically drowned out from the intensity of his tone. He paused the game and dropped his controller, Jeremy suddenly sparked by the realisation that they themselves hadn’t even made it off the starting line. “I’ll try to get your crewmate out of this. Consider it a favour for a friend.” And there it was, the sticking point. Chilled said ‘favour’ like regular people said oaths, the heaviness sitting like physical baggage waiting to be picked up. Before Jeremy could reply, Chilled continued, “I’m sure you’d do the same for me.”

He didn’t ask, he didn’t even tell, he just said the words with enough implication that Jeremy immediately understood. Chilled didn’t want their money, he wanted a favour. And if it was an equivalent exchange for what Jeremy was asking of him, it wouldn’t be a small deed.

Steeling himself, already dizzy at the mood shifts that Chilled caused, Jeremy asked the obvious question, “What is it you need?”

Chilled regarded them for a long moment, and then broke from his blank face into an easy smile that his eyes didn’t _quite_ meet. He shrugged, picked up the controller and faced the screen. “I don’t know yet,” he said, almost dismissively. It put the other person on the back-foot - they weren’t expecting to owe a blanket favour, probably to be cashed in at any time. “I’ll let you know when I figure it out, okay?”

Chilled’s back pocket was not a place anyone wanted to be. Jeremy wondered if this was how the man kept his hands so clean, dealing in favours and arm-twisting instead of blood and guts. But what was the alternative? If they denied the favour, they’d lose favour with the lawyer, probably blow the whole deal, and then have to run back to their crew with a sore ego and a bruised credibility. And Alfredo would still need help.

Jeremy was built for grunt work and cat burglary rather than high-level espionage, and it wasn't like Chilled had his file or resume. They assessed that it was unlikely that they’d be asked to do a favour outside of their means; maybe they'd be asked to kill someone influential or steal some documents. Whatever, it's nothing they haven't done before. This time their friend's freedom was on the line, it was a no-brainer. The only problem was that Jeremy wasn’t a single entity anymore. They were a Fake, they had a crew. They doubted that Chilled would ask to involve them or betray them at all, but it still felt like a breach of loyalty to be indebted to someone outside of the crew's named associates. In a faulty leap of logic, Jeremy brokered a compromise in their mind.

“Of course, you just let me know. But just me, we don’t need to let the crew know I haven’t paid you. No need to complicate things, right?” It wasn’t a smooth lie, but it didn’t need to be. It let Chilled know their stipulation to their deal, and that was enough.

They shook hands and the finality of it didn’t quite set in for Jeremy. With Chilled sat on the sofa slamming his controller and winning at Mario Kart, and his tortoise in his lap, it was easy to believe that he was just a regular - albeit dorky - guy. This was just a friend, who they played games with online and screamed at over voice chat. It wasn’t until he shook their head from the draw of the screen and took in the expansive office around them that they remembered that in this world, with its view of the city and uninterrupted by the rabble of common people, Chilled was king. He was king, and he climbed his way up there on the backs of enemies and friends alike, not stopping to pull anyone else up to his level.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter he'll be meeting more of the crew! This probably should've just been chapter 1 but I get to eager to post and I work sporadically. Please leave kudos and a comment if you like <3


	3. Comfort Zone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chilled meets the crew and he doesn't seem his usual confident self.

"Okay so, Jeremy has acquired the services of Mr Chaos for us. He has agreed to meet with us tomorrow to discuss the particulars of this issue before we send him in to meet Alfredo, so first we're gonna show him how the Fakes do hospitality for their own. We need to impress upon him how this family works. That means I need all of you", Geoff paused to cast a meaningful glance to Fiona, "on your best behaviour." 

There were a few laughs held behind hands from around the room of fellow troublemakers, and Fiona met them with a death glare, but currently sat slumped in a beanbag chair and surrounded by her friends, it didn’t hold the same intensity as it might to most.

At the front of the packed meeting room, Geoff held court, his sigh more fond and exasperated than annoyed as he took stock of the array of characters surrounding the planning table. Despite the nature of their current 'heist' ("Geoff, it's the heist room, we have to call it a heist, Geoff") being to escort and welcome one Chilled Chaos to the penthouse and its residents, the absence of Alfredo kept the rest of the gang relatively quiet and contemplating. 

Geoff looked to the whiteboard, their tattered and defaced city heist map now covered and taped over by the smiling headshot of Chilled Chaos. “Let’s heist.”

-

Jeremy pushed off the wall of the high-rise office as Chilled left through the doors of the consultancy firm, greeting him with a wave and an easy smile. Chilled stutter-stepped at the sight of his friend, dressed in a purple blazer and yellow slacks, a white cowboy hat on top of his head. Jeremy rolled their eyes behind their shades. Despite the loudness of the outfit, it offered a quick detachment to the nerves that they felt at these meeting situations. They were immediately grateful that Geoff had made the rather heavy-handed suggestion that the crew geared up, iconic as their outfits are, as a public demonstration: Chilled Chaos is protected by the Fakes, back off. 

“Hey Jeremy, what’s going on? I thought I was meant to be meeting you guys for a consultation, not dressing up for a heist,” Chilled started, meeting his short friend with a curious look before going wide-eyed, “wait, everything’s still on for today, right? I didn’t get something wrong-”

“Oh man, you should take a Chilled-pill. Didn’t even give you an address for the meeting, of course we were gonna pick you up.” 

“Right yeah, makes sen- what do you mean we?” The realisation had Chilled glancing around, trying to spy any other audaciously dressed members of the Fake AH Crew around him, before his gaze landed on a bright green Entity XF parked on the curb beside them. The driver rolled down the window, and Chilled was met with the warm grin, red hair, and Hawaiian shirt of Jack.

“Are you two gonna stand on the pavement all day like jackasses or are you gonna let us make this meeting in good time?” She called, and despite the lack of malice in her tone, both Jeremy and Chilled found themselves moving quickly towards the car at her word. Climbing in the back, Chilled found the driver looking between himself and Jeremy before fondly shaking her head and starting the car.

Jeremy spots it too, “What’s the look for?”

“Oh you know, just should’ve seen it coming. Birds of a feather flock together and all that,” she replied, frustratingly vague and with her own small smile.

“And what the hell’s that supposed to mean?” Jeremy retorted, Chilled watching on in a mix of fear and curiosity at the exchange.

“Friend of yours,” she jerked her thumb back towards where Chilled was sitting, “did you bond over fashion?” Jack gave a chuckle before turning the key and revving her car.

Jeremy turned round in the seat to look quizzically at Chilled, taking in his bold red business suit and Mario-style hat adorned with a big C. “No idea what you mean, Jack.”

And with that Jack took off at a breakneck speed, laughing wildly to herself as the other two were thrown back against their seats, reassuring them that both Gavin and Matt were watching them drive through the city and keeping them very safe and sound, no need to worry your pretty little heads about it.

X

In next to no time - thanks to some liberal interpretations of the speed limit - they pulled up to the high-rise building that the crew had come to consider their home. At least, the penthouse was their home environment. Much of the remaining office space was used as work environments from crew activity and storage, the basement as their sparring room and gym. By the time Chilled had taken in the building in front of him, Jeremy had rushed round to get his door for him, dramatically bowing with a roll of his hand as if gesturing the way for royalty. Jack stood by the door, pinching the bridge of her nose and rolling her eyes at the display. 

The receptionist gave a wave and a nod to the crew, her eyes passing over their outfits and oddities without judgement. Clearly someone used to these characters, Chilled thought. What surprised him more, however, was that the elevator was not empty when it opened to let them in. Towels on their shoulders and sweat on their foreheads, the recognisable faces of Mogar and Nova looked to Chilled expectantly as he was led into the lift. The heat of their breath, the shine of their skin, and the pump of their muscles told Chilled that the two had just come from training of some sort. 

Jeremy met the two with a high five before making a disgusted face and shaking his hand at the air, “Michael, gross, you’re all sweaty, you animal!” It drew a laugh from the other Fake members, Jack looking over them like a proud and tired mother. Chilled quickly reassessed his thought of offering a handshake to the two, instead taking his outstretched hand and running it through the side of his hair next to his hat.

Nova shot him a look, “What’s got you all shifty?”, sounding more like an accusation than a question, “You don’t think we can protect you or something, huh, not good enough?”

“Probably just in absolute awe of us, Fifi. I’m sure he’s fine.” Mogar, Michael, quipped, and it felt like the atmosphere had diffused into an easy quiet. “Besides, wearing all red? If he dies then he was asking for it.”

“Michael, what the hell are you on about?” Fiona asked, but Chilled was already smirking.

“Did you just make a Star Trek reference?” he laughed, grateful to have something to say for the first time since meeting more of the group. “Never took the crew’s resident bruiser for a nerd.” He looked to where Michael had met his left, and saw a smile that felt mocking and proud all at once. This guy’s hard to read, they both thought of each other.

With that moment, the ping of the elevator reaching its floor sounded and the doors opened to an open space. “The penthouse of the Fake AH Crew”, as Jeremy announced with wide arms and a beaming smile. “And around here somewhere… Oh there you are! Lindsay, Chilled - Chilled, Lindsay.” Jeremy gestured between the two of them by way of introduction.

Lindsay stood with a platter of the cutest cupcakes, little red “CC”s adorned on each one. It was clear that they had been made specifically for Chilled, as the platter thrust, gently, towards him. “Here, for you!” Lindsay offered, their smile all hope and hospitality. Jack, coming from behind them, batted away the greedy hands of Fiona and Jeremy, shooting an admonishing look that said more than words could. Chilled took a cupcake and smiled awkwardly, giving a quick thank you before looking to Jeremy again for guidance.

“It’s a cupcake, what do you think you’re meant to do with it?” Jeremy laughed, shaking his head. A flame of worry flicked at him, Chilled was usually way more relaxed than this. Way more of a smooth-talker, too. They resolved to ask him about it later, hoping he was just getting his bearings a little. The cupcake that Chilled took sat uneaten in his hand until he saw the rest of the present crew descend on the platter, more greedy than hungry.

Despite being here for a meeting, Jeremy called Chilled over to the penthouse couch, where Gavin and Matt were failing miserably at a Mario Maker level plastered across their TV. The crew was sprawled across the sofa and floor, familial easiness in their postures and no tension in their air when they bantered over their game over’s. Unsure of his place, Chilled sat perched, cradling his half-eaten cupcake, for what felt like a half hour before he was called to the meeting room. Stood at the door, face expressionless from lack of sleep and too much worry, was the crew’s leader. Geoff Ramsey was a name everyone in Los Santos knew and rightfully feared, his influence seeded into every avenue of the city. Always suited and always armed, he could be the best benefactor or the worst ordeal for anyone who chose to engage with. As he pointed towards the meeting room door, Chilled felt himself follow the stretch of Ramsey’s arm and the point of his finger like a dog playing fetch. Smoothing over his suit as he stood and making sure not to trip over his own feet, Chilled followed him to the doorway before being stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Geoff, who met him with a handshake and a smile that was both sad and grateful. 

“Glad to have you here, Chilled, I don’t know how much you’ve been told, but we really need a guy like you right now.”

Jeremy watched over their shoulder from the sofa, feeling nervous for their friend. Chilled had seemed a little taken off-guard despite their best efforts to give him a warm and personal welcome, and meeting Geoff was probably a big deal to anyone who didn’t know the man was a massive softie inside. As the meeting room door opened and Chilled stepped inside, Jeremy caught a stutter-step as the man saw the back of Trevor’s head, who was there to help the meeting along. Nothing to worry about, Jeremy thought to themselves, turning back to the TV in front of them and just in time to see yet another game over screen.

X

Jeremy met Chilled at the door of the meeting room, figuring their friend would welcome a more familiar face after such an exhausting talk. What Jeremy certainly wasn't expecting was Chilled to grab them by the arm and drag them to the nearest available room and usher them inside. Chilled slammed the door behind them, looking through the small window curiously before pulling the blind down. He seemed to be inspecting the handle, looking for a lock, when Jeremy cleared their throat and drew his attention.

“Chilled. You’re freaking me out pal, what’s going on? How’d the meeting go?” Jeremy laughed nervously.

“What do you mean ‘what’s going on’? I should be asking you! What the hell is all this?” Chilled started pacing, gesturing frantically towards nothing at all. The small office room was bare and grey, not typically used for any crew activity, and Jeremy didn’t know where to put their hands other than the pockets of their yellow jeans. No briefcase or steering wheel to tap today.

“Woah dude, slow down. Did something happen? Did we keep you too long?”

“Uh yeah something happened, you’re a bunch of sickos is what happened!”

“Kinda comes with the business, Chilled, I thought you knew this,” Jeremy huffed, a little incredulous at Chilled’s tone.

“Not like that! Why are you all trying to intimidate me and shit? Trying to figure out if you can trust me, keep me under your thumb maybe? I thought this was a good faith deal!” Jeremy just tiled their head, non-comprehension written all over theur face from the outburst of their panicked friend. “Okay, look, maybe they didn’t clue you into what they were doing then. But you see it now right? First of all, your driver picks me up and drives me all round the city right and left at breakneck speed so that I never remember where your base is.”

“That’s not-”

“And then! She says that your two tech guys are watching over us so I don’t pull anything funny, so I don’t try to derail us or something. So I feel watched, Jeremy. Then we get here, and you got your brawler and bruiser duo bracketing me in the lift so I can’t turn and bolt, or maybe I’ll get roughed up in the lift!”

“Chilled, you’re being-”

“I’m not finished! Lindsay gives me that southern hospitality with the cupcakes, do you think I’m dumb?! Trying to see if the new guy is gonna eat something poisoned like a rookie, or not trust that the sweet treats are fine? It’s a lose-lose, I’m being set up! To top it all of, there’s the actual meeting of all things.”

“I thought it went well-”

“Bring me in to see your scary fuckin’ boss and he’s staring me down like he knows where I live and what my mother’s maiden name is, and then you get someone that looks like Alfredo in there to put me on edge? Make me question what I’m really there for if he’s not in custody? You guys are sick, doing that to me. I thought we were friends and your crew is just trying to mess with my head! I see the truth, Jeremy, you can’t talk me out of it, the deal is off.”

A heavy pause sat in the room, Jeremy stood open-mouthed gaping at Chilled. They looked glitched, head jerking to the side and eyebrows drawn together as if the movements would jog the cogs to turn and sudden clarity could be met. Chilled himself was exasperated, arms falling from their flailing and drawing his hands into nervous ringing. It was like he had blown up and deflated all in one day, his body not able to sustain his own anxiety any longer. Jeremy looked down, the paranoia emanating from the red-suited businessman just absolutely stunning them.

“Chilled, please, we need you. I need you, for Alfredo. There’s no one else, and I don’t know what you think my crew has done but I know they need you too. They wouldn’t mess with you when it’s one of our own on the line, so please... don’t call this off.” Jeremy met Chilled with searching, pleading eyes.

So there they both stood, looking for reassurance in their own ways. Two usually-confident people so desperate for certainty in a situation so unfamiliar to them, two usually-independent friends suddenly so reliant on a tight nod from the other. The paranoia and the tension would be easy to laugh off later, but in that moment it was draining. But saving Alfredo was bigger than both of their feelings, more important than the emotion in the air. They gave each other a tight nod, and resolved to get to work on the next steps of the plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long! Hope you enjoy! please leave kudos and a comment if you feel like it, it really helps <3
> 
> Also, I made a playlist for FAHC!Chilled that I put on while writing, if anyone is interested! It's here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4uawbkxFhS5RI3mnXYTPJl?si=Ji__mZdQR0ei7sjTKVKYYQ


	4. Prior Knowledge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chilled and Jeremy have their own revelations regarding the Alfredo situation

Later that evening, Jeremy was sprawled across the sofa. Two whiskeys and the low light of the open-plan lounge made for an easy atmosphere, one that hadn’t been felt since they’d all heard the news of Alfredo. Matt was passed out next to him, the lightweight gone to the world after a single beer, and Jeremy smiled fondly at the sight. Lindsay and Fiona were wrestling over the TV remote, despite neither knowing what they wanted to watch. Looking back towards the kitchen, Jack was standing at the kitchen with Geoff, the two quietly talking between themselves with small smiles and snack bowls in their hands. Family. In front of the TV, Trevor sat in a mammoth pile of blankets, and Jeremy found themself looking at the back of his head for the second time that day. A memory, made hazy by the buzz of alcohol, came to him. 

As the meeting room door opened and Chilled stepped inside, Jeremy caught a stutter-step as the man saw the back of Trevor’s head, who was there to help the meeting along.

“Nothing to worry about,” Jeremy muttered, recalling what they had thought at the time. “Nothing to-”

They looked again at the back of Trevor’s head. and then there was Chilled’s voice - frantic and urgent - floating over the memory, “and then you get someone that looks like Alfredo in there to put me on edge? Make me question what I’m really there for if he’s not in custody?”

Jeremy bolted before the connection had even fully registered, and caught their legs working of their own accord, piloting them to Gavin’s office, where they knew he would be working through the night. They were unsure if they had left the room at all, aside from a mandatory walk issued by Jack and Geoff. Inside the door before they fully knew it, Jeremy caught the wide-eyed stare of Gavin, fingers still working at the keyboard even as he looked away.

“How did he know?” Jeremy asked, searching for answers and forgetting all context. Gavin merely tilted his head, questioning, waiting. “Chilled. How did he know that Trevor looks like Alfredo?”

“Jeremy, what on earth are you on about?” Gavin’s exclamation, muted somewhat by his sleep deprivation and lack of recent social contact, had Jeremy spilling over their words.

“He knew! Earlier today, when he met with Geoff and Trevor, I saw it. He paused as he walked in, the second he saw Trevor. And then later he’s on this absolute tirade about the day and he goes… he says something like ‘you brought in a guy that looks like Alfredo’.” Gavin was still silent, as if Jeremy hadn’t quite bridged the gap in the leap of logic they had made, “So he knew! I didn’t tell him it was Alfredo we needed help for, and how the hell does he know what Alfredo looks like anyway?! He’s our sniper, not like he’s Michael with his face splashed all over the news!”

“- you’re saying that you didn’t tell Chilled he was here for Alfredo,” Jeremy shook their head, “and that he didn’t tell you he knew Alfredo already?” Another head shake. “Jeremy, maybe there’s something I should show you…”  
Jeremy walked around to beside Gavin’s chair, the bright light of the screen making them wince and squint instinctively. Once their eyes had adjusted to the screen, they almost popped out. A confident smirk, a knockoff Mario hat, a bright red suit. It was a picture of Chilled, and it was on a lengthy file that Gavin had been composing for hours. Gavin began scrolling, and a wash of blurred writing and fuzzy CCTV camera pictures flashed by until it suddenly came to a halt. Four words in all caps, bold and underlined writing, screaming for Jeremy’s attention:

HISTORY WITH ALFREDO DIAZ.

X

The next morning, Chilled left the door of his Consultancy Firm, the busy sounds of Los Santos so often forgotten in his penthouse office hitting him like holiday heat out the aeroplane door. He strode briskly to his car, instructing his driver to take him to the police station, grateful to the morning traffic that he would have some time to get out of his own head prior to the meeting. Yesterday, meeting the Fakes and going over Alfredo’s case with them, it had him all wrapped up. Even Jeremy hadn’t diffused him much. Closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, he replayed the meeting over in his mind.

It was only half-surprising that he had been brought in to help Alfredo. Between Jeremy’s near slip in his office that first day, and being able to account for pretty much every other on-scene Fake member yesterday when they had made great pains to be there to greet him in full force, learning that he was going to be Alfredo’s lawyer wasn’t the bombshell it might’ve been. 

Trevor and Geoff had co-managed the meeting, the younger man seemingly having authority and influence in the group. A new boss? Between them both, they had relayed that Alfredo was doing his first job as a trainee hacker when he had been caught. Nothing that Jeremy had told him, but he was surprised to learn that Alfredo had been picked up by local police just outside of the Fake HQ, taken without much explanation besides his alleged crime, and held there since. 

Wire fraud is a federal offence, and Jeremy knew enough to say that it was the Feds who were monitoring it, so that he was still in police custody in a local station was not exactly protocol. Chilled had suggested during the meeting, and genuinely believed, that one of two possibilities were likely here. Either LSPD were bluffing, and didn’t have the hard evidence they needed on him (yet), or this was a pissing contest with the FBI. It was… more than likely that someone thought they could weasel a promotion out of this, especially if they knew already that Alfredo is a Fake.

It was a happy coincidence that Alfredo was his client, Chilled thought. Years without seeing him had honeyed his memories of the sharp-tongued sharp-shooter, someone he didn’t even know was also in Los Santos until some gang intel had come through good for him a few months prior. It would be nice to have an old friend in town, even if they had never reconnected, even under these dire circumstances that Alfredo was in. It was a dangerous and precious thing in this lonely, cruel city, to hope to see someone again. Chilled’s inner monologue carried him all the way to the desk of the police station, absent-mindedly flashing his card and being escorted to a meeting room. The whirrs and buzzes of police technology were drowned out by Chilled’s onset of adrenaline, the exciting hum of a new job and an old friend clogging his ears to reality. As the door was opened for him, it wasn’t the back of a doppelganger's head that Chilled saw, but instead a familiar face.

“Fredo, how the hell are yo-” Chilled started excitedly, before cutting himself off at the look of shock, horror, and anger that Alfredo’s face had twisted into when they had made eye contact.

“Not you. No, fuck that,” Alfredo started, talking at Chilled rather than to him, “What the fuck were they thinking, sending you? What kind of loyalty- not that you would know anything about that- get out-” the simmering rage making him interrupt himself again and again, as Chilled looked on, dumbfounded.

X

Jeremy scanned their eyes over the page, but Gavin was quick to start explaining upon seeing the unfocused gaze of Jeremy’s tipsy attempt at reading. “They knew each other, long before we did. Ran a few deals together, almost had something solid going.”

Jeremy said their thinking out loud, “almost?”

Gavin gave them a dry look before continuing with an answer that Jeremy had no chance of expecting, “Almost. Until one night, when they played Monopoly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit more of a bottle chapter but here we go! Please leave kudos or a comment if you like, thank you for reading <3

**Author's Note:**

> I fell into a hole of watching ChilledChaos content and felt like I could play around with his past and present connections to AH. Apologies if this has been done before, I couldn't find anything from some searches so thought I'd start a story of my own.
> 
> I'll be pulling from Chilled's videos and streams, as well as Hardcore Tabletop! Please leave kudos and a comment if you want, it's very appreciated and I'm still working on ideas for this so input is welcomed ❤️


End file.
